


Fragments of a Life Once Lived

by PensiveAsphodel



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e05 A Life in the Day, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, continuation of the last scene, s03e05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 03:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13895217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PensiveAsphodel/pseuds/PensiveAsphodel
Summary: Continuation of the last scene in ep 3x05 'A Life In The Day'. Eliot and Quentin's conversation ended way too soon.





	Fragments of a Life Once Lived

Eliot bit down into the ripe peach as a wave of memories washed over him. He stared straight ahead trying to make sense of the flashes of images flickering across his mind’s eye. Eliot tapped his hand against Quentin’s upper arm.

“Déjà vu”

“Peaches and…peaches and plums” Said Quentin in a low, stunned voice, remembering the girl who bought them fresh fruit and taught him to juggle.

“Peaches and plums, peaches and plums, peaches and plums.” Repeated Eliot softly, the memories becoming clearer in his head. One stuck out to him. They were sitting in a house, “ _No, our home_ ” thought Eliot. They sat next to each other on a day bed, drinking tea while the morning sun began to peak over the trees to shine into their clearing, he felt calm and purely content. Eliot looked down to his wrinkled, liver-spotted hands, and felt the weight of a pair of glasses on his nose.

“I got so old.”

“You died” Said Quentin, finally looking at Eliot. Quentin remembered gently wrapping his friend’s body in the quilt they had made together all those years ago, he remembered the crushing feeling of grief that overwhelmed him.

“I died.” Eliot confirmed, remembering the feeling of peace he’d felt listening to Quentin prattle on about the grandkids as he slowly closed his eyes for the last time. He closed his eyes again now, sorting through the lifetime of memories. He saw Arielle laughing with Quentin, _kissing_ Quentin…

“You had a wife” More memories now. Arielle pregnant, placing Quentin and Eliot’s hands on her growing belly to feel the baby kick. Eliot delivering Rupert into the world, the first person to ever hold him. The four of them, living so happily together…until they didn’t. Arielle abandoning them, a small note on the kitchen table with some bullshit excuse that left Quentin devastated. Eliot picking up the pieces, taking care of his boys. Eliot being a good father. Eventually being happy again, just the three of them.

“And we had a family.”

“How, how…how do we remember that.” The memories came thick and fast now to Quentin. An entire lifetime worth of tears, of laughter, of love swelled in his chest.

Eliot chuckled softly. “I don’t know”

They sat back against the stairs.

“I had…I had to b-bury you El.” Sobbed Quentin suddenly. “You died, you were dead”

Eliot placed his hand on the back of Quentin’s neck and gave it a reassuring squeeze before pulling his friend in for a hug.

“I’m right here Q, it’s ok, I’m right here with you” Eliot pressed a kiss into his forehead as he felt Quentin’s tears on his neck. A thought popped into Eliot's head. He had died, Quentin had found the key but what happened after that? The thought of his Q living in that cottage by himself made him gently place his hands on either side of Quentin’s face and slowly bring his head up to look into his eyes.

“How long?”

Quentin looked puzzled.

“How long what?”

“How long did you live after I died?” Eliot knew his years of drinking and drug abuse pre-Fillory shortened his life, no matter how much good 70 years of clean eating and outdoor exercise did. Quentin would have lived longer he thought, maybe he even saw their first great-grandchild.

Quentin chuckled wetly before looking away from Eliot’s intense stare.

“How long Quentin?” Quentin muttered something under his breath, Eliot tightened his grip on his friend’s face.

“What was that?”

“One week, okay? I had to think of a way to get the key back to Margo, and once I’d done that I just” Quentin took a big shuddering breath “I died of a broken heart, I suppose. Couldn't live without you.”

“Oh Q” Eliot slowly leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Quentin’s lips. It was familiar, like the hundreds of thousands of kisses they’d shared in their other life, but also new, and full of promise.

 

Eliot stood up slowly and held out his hand to Quentin.

“It’s late, c’mon we need to sleep if we’re gonna help Bambi to Olenna Tyrell that Joffery dick in the morning.”

Quentin smiled and held Eliot’s hand as the taller man led them to his chambers. At the sight of the large plush bed a sudden tiredness washed over the duo. They climbed in and arranged themselves as they had always done in their little cottage: Legs tangled with Eliot’s arm slung over Quentin’s waist. They were silent for a few moments as Quentin slowly stroked Eliot’s arm up and down.

“El, in the morning, we should tell Margo our first grandchild was named after her” Quentin softly whispered.

Eliot huffed a soft laugh into Quentin’s hair.

“Bambi’d love that. God, she was a right little spit-fire wasn’t she? Don’t know where she got it from, certainly not her father.”

“No, Rupert was such a sweet boy” Quentin’s hand had stilled on Eliot’s arm and he could feel the tears threatening to spill again. Eliot tightened his grip and whispered

“It’ll be alright Q, we’ll get through this together. Promise.”

With a final kiss to Quentin’s forehead they fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> So, wow, this was scary for me. I haven't written fanfic since I was 13/14? They were very bad and hopefully they've been relegated to some deep hole in the internet. So shout out to this episode of The Magicians for actually making me want to write something. 
> 
> Also I know a lot of people in the fandom reckon Arielle died, which I honestly thought too, but when I rewatched the episode, the flashback before my poor Q is bawling, where he kisses her, she looks...not impressed. Like maybe she got bored of her life and went to sell peaches again in the Fillory version of Italy? I don't know. My headcanon whether she died or left honestly changes day to day.


End file.
